Read a full match report of the Aviva Premiership game between London Wasps
and Worcester Warriors at Adams Park on Sunday Oct 7 201

As Premiership Rugby’s delegates assemble in Rome on Monday to convince their European counterparts of the merits of their controversial BT Vision television deal, it is unlikely that footage of this match will be used to forward their case.

Whatever the merits of the English clubs demands backed by the £152 million TV deal for an overhaul of the structure of the Heineken Cup, on the evidence of this error-strewn display, neither Wasps or Worcester could make a case for inclusion in Europe’s top-flight competition this season.

Not even the mini-drama of a late rally by Worcester, who twice kicked penalties to the corner in an attempt to maul their way what would have been a match-winning try, could salvage the contest as any sort of spectacle.

It took a big hit by Wasps flanker Joe Launchbury, one of the few players who enhanced their reputations on an otherwise forgettable afternoon, to force the decisive turnover as Worcester’s back row forward Blair Cowan lost possession deep in the home side’s 22.

By then, memories of a bright, free-flowing opening by Wasps at the start of the game, which yielded a try by prop Simon McIntyre and penalty by Stephen Jones, were all too distant.

“Sorry to subject you to that s****, it was a shocker,” was the blunt assessment of Worcester director of rugby Richard Hill. “I don’t either of the teams played particularly well but we played marginally worse.

“You have got to give credit Wasps for holding out right at the end. We could have sneaked it but I am not sure we deserved to do so at the end.

“I think both teams tried hard but there were so many individual errors, particularly our line-out, which did not function this afternoon. It was a poor game, error-strewn on both sides apart from the first two minutes when Wasps got their try. After that it was a pretty dour affair.”

At least Wasps had the comfort of moving up to eighth place in the table at the expense of their opponents thanks a second successive victory at Adams Parks after defeats on the road at Gloucester and Northampton.

Dai Young, Wasps director of rugby, afterwards conceded his side should not have found themselves in a position where the result was in doubt until the last play, given the amount of possession his side had in attacking positions.

If Worcester’s line-out helped Wasps along the way, Young’s side contrived to squander chance after chance by poor ball retention and discipline at the breakdown.

“It is frustrating. I have made my thoughts quite clear to the players,” said Young. “We showed a lot of heart and determination in the last three or four minutes to keep them out but we shouldn’t have been in that position.

“Our ball retention was really poor and our kicking game was second best.

“In the second half our scrum fell apart and our line-out wasn’t as secure as it normally is and we ended up defending for long periods.

“I don’t think we would have beaten many teams today if I am honest, but we found a way to win.”

The review of the match is unlikely to be comfortable viewing for either squad. Stephen Jones surrendered his 100 per cent kicking record this season with two penalties misses while Worcester fullback Chris Pennell wasted a two-on-one at the end of the first half by chipping the ball away.

The only other action of note came in the 51st minute, when Worcester fly-half Andy Goode dropped a goal from just inside the halfway line to add to a penalty seven minutes earlier. Thankfully, the rest has been forgotten already.